So up until now when it has come to the business side of filmmaking I've been a total unprofessional jerkoff ^ ^
I could have probably made 5x as much money if I would have sold stuff people wanted like soundtracks, posters, shirts, toys... but I didn't 0_o
You know when we go through traumatic experiences we rush back into doing the things that make us comfortable ....2007 was a rough year for me artistically and all that so I decided to let go of WATS and move on into a new project....
I've seen lots of other independent filmmakers come and go and most all of them probably capitalized (when it comes to making money) better on they time in the limelight than I did ...BUT most ALL of the them FADED AWAY...maybe they made the money they wanted and bounced? Maybe they were one trick ponies and they did they trick so now theY done? BUT I'm still here ^ ^
In running away from it all and going to work on a new film...I've made like... A NEW FILM ^ ^ A new chance... a new hope...
My rationale for doing what I did... making enough money to make a new film... putting all that money into the new film and getting back into the grind to get it done and make it 100x times better than the last... I believe today we have to be ok with "giving away" our first film that garners any attention... its like our calling card... you want people to have a good experience and remember you and hopefully when your next film comes out they want to drop some dollars on it...
So by just watching and being interested in my stuff let alone buying you've paid me a great compliment which I greatly appreciate ^ ^ So instead of sitting around longer and trying to bask in the faint glow of my last film I went right back to work so I could show you how much I appreciate your time and attention and make an amazing new film for you ^ ^
Actually by the time the film is playing at festivals it's already dead for me... I felt pretty uncomfortable at all the screenings because to me it was old and done... I had changed... my feelings had change... my perception had changed...so I wanted to get something new out... but back to the bizzzzzzz.....
So to start with your first film needs to be something really special as even if you have the best business plan in the world and are able to swindle people out of they money with yer perfect pitch for a subpar product the first time...you'll have a hard time doing that a second or third time... it leaves a bad taste in your audiences mouF...and they don't like that feeling so they probably won't come back... and I want yall to come back!
With the money you put into your second film...get good enough equipment so that you can use the SAME equipment on your THIRD film...so you can make your third without any major expenses... SO what to do with the profits from your second film then? INVEST THEM... M dot's gonna hire a financial planner and invest that sheT...
The only way I could truly letdown my audience is if I stopped making films... NOW the only way that would happen was if I didn't have the money to do so... SO I'm going to think about the future and take the necessary steps so that I never betray my audience and go like OOPS I can't make a movie I don't have any money?! Guess my career's over 0_o So I went to the used bookstore and got some books on finance tonight ^ ^
Once someone invests themselves into you as an artist you've got to treasure and protect that connection! If you just STOP they feel betrayed... I've felt betrayed by many artists/filmmakers etc as they just like stopped or quit or something....
I mean right now I am a company... I'm my own little media company...I produce films, animation, music, training material... and hopefully soon some books as well...so I need to treat it as such and try to grow my lil company.... Endika and I were taking the other day about how great it would be someday to have our own little building for our own production company... and maybe even a few employees?!?! BUT that's a long way from where I am right now and I can't even afford to pay myself haha... both he and I have never had a problem with talent, passion, or work ethic... we were just never business minded... BUT now when we meet up I'm always talking marketing/advertising ideas and general business stuff as I've kind of taken an interest in it in the past year or so... and I mean in a perfect world I wouldn't have to think about any of that and just create BUT the world isn't perfect so I better learn that stuff too...
For me its always been a trade off... you only have so much time and energy and you need to choose what to use it for... I've always just focused on being the best artist I could be and that's done pretty good so far...When you see the HSM trailer you'll probably be like "ok M dot I think you got a pretty good handle on the whole creative thing NOW GO work on teh BUSINESS SIDE of things!" ... I know if I don't put some serious time and energy into the business aspect I won't be able to afford making films anymore... and if I can't make films ... life won't have much of a purpose 0_o Nothing else is as challenging, exciting, interesting, and engaging and nothing else makes me feel so alive... So I better learn a little biDness so I can keep it up eh? ^ ^
So after HSM I'm not going to buy new equipment...I'm going to invest the money I make on it and go right back to work on the next film with the same equipment I have now as that would be the smart thing to do... so if you don't see me out in the world or at screenings or whatever in the coming years...its because I'm back to work!
I'm planning on doing one festival screening... I want to give the premiere to the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal this summer and that will be the one and only theatrical screening of "Heart String Marionette" if they accept it... festivals are expensive as is "four walling" theaters so to be able to make another film I'm going to have to not participate this time around...
BUT there's something else Endika and I are planning so you will able to experience HSM live....and no one has ever done it before and if we have the money to do it we plan to do it all over the world...back to the business thing again ya see... so that's why M dot's reading finance books 0_0
I could have probably made 5x as much money if I would have sold stuff people wanted like soundtracks, posters, shirts, toys... but I didn't 0_o
You know when we go through traumatic experiences we rush back into doing the things that make us comfortable ....2007 was a rough year for me artistically and all that so I decided to let go of WATS and move on into a new project....
I've seen lots of other independent filmmakers come and go and most all of them probably capitalized (when it comes to making money) better on they time in the limelight than I did ...BUT most ALL of the them FADED AWAY...maybe they made the money they wanted and bounced? Maybe they were one trick ponies and they did they trick so now theY done? BUT I'm still here ^ ^
In running away from it all and going to work on a new film...I've made like... A NEW FILM ^ ^ A new chance... a new hope...
My rationale for doing what I did... making enough money to make a new film... putting all that money into the new film and getting back into the grind to get it done and make it 100x times better than the last... I believe today we have to be ok with "giving away" our first film that garners any attention... its like our calling card... you want people to have a good experience and remember you and hopefully when your next film comes out they want to drop some dollars on it...
So by just watching and being interested in my stuff let alone buying you've paid me a great compliment which I greatly appreciate ^ ^ So instead of sitting around longer and trying to bask in the faint glow of my last film I went right back to work so I could show you how much I appreciate your time and attention and make an amazing new film for you ^ ^
Actually by the time the film is playing at festivals it's already dead for me... I felt pretty uncomfortable at all the screenings because to me it was old and done... I had changed... my feelings had change... my perception had changed...so I wanted to get something new out... but back to the bizzzzzzz.....
So to start with your first film needs to be something really special as even if you have the best business plan in the world and are able to swindle people out of they money with yer perfect pitch for a subpar product the first time...you'll have a hard time doing that a second or third time... it leaves a bad taste in your audiences mouF...and they don't like that feeling so they probably won't come back... and I want yall to come back!
With the money you put into your second film...get good enough equipment so that you can use the SAME equipment on your THIRD film...so you can make your third without any major expenses... SO what to do with the profits from your second film then? INVEST THEM... M dot's gonna hire a financial planner and invest that sheT...
The only way I could truly letdown my audience is if I stopped making films... NOW the only way that would happen was if I didn't have the money to do so... SO I'm going to think about the future and take the necessary steps so that I never betray my audience and go like OOPS I can't make a movie I don't have any money?! Guess my career's over 0_o So I went to the used bookstore and got some books on finance tonight ^ ^
Once someone invests themselves into you as an artist you've got to treasure and protect that connection! If you just STOP they feel betrayed... I've felt betrayed by many artists/filmmakers etc as they just like stopped or quit or something....
I mean right now I am a company... I'm my own little media company...I produce films, animation, music, training material... and hopefully soon some books as well...so I need to treat it as such and try to grow my lil company.... Endika and I were taking the other day about how great it would be someday to have our own little building for our own production company... and maybe even a few employees?!?! BUT that's a long way from where I am right now and I can't even afford to pay myself haha... both he and I have never had a problem with talent, passion, or work ethic... we were just never business minded... BUT now when we meet up I'm always talking marketing/advertising ideas and general business stuff as I've kind of taken an interest in it in the past year or so... and I mean in a perfect world I wouldn't have to think about any of that and just create BUT the world isn't perfect so I better learn that stuff too...
For me its always been a trade off... you only have so much time and energy and you need to choose what to use it for... I've always just focused on being the best artist I could be and that's done pretty good so far...When you see the HSM trailer you'll probably be like "ok M dot I think you got a pretty good handle on the whole creative thing NOW GO work on teh BUSINESS SIDE of things!" ... I know if I don't put some serious time and energy into the business aspect I won't be able to afford making films anymore... and if I can't make films ... life won't have much of a purpose 0_o Nothing else is as challenging, exciting, interesting, and engaging and nothing else makes me feel so alive... So I better learn a little biDness so I can keep it up eh? ^ ^
So after HSM I'm not going to buy new equipment...I'm going to invest the money I make on it and go right back to work on the next film with the same equipment I have now as that would be the smart thing to do... so if you don't see me out in the world or at screenings or whatever in the coming years...its because I'm back to work!
I'm planning on doing one festival screening... I want to give the premiere to the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal this summer and that will be the one and only theatrical screening of "Heart String Marionette" if they accept it... festivals are expensive as is "four walling" theaters so to be able to make another film I'm going to have to not participate this time around...
BUT there's something else Endika and I are planning so you will able to experience HSM live....and no one has ever done it before and if we have the money to do it we plan to do it all over the world...back to the business thing again ya see... so that's why M dot's reading finance books 0_0
speaking of screenings, you should look local brotha, (but not YOU local) for example: I have a local movie theater that is independently owned and often plays old old classics / also indie flicks in the off-mainstream movie times.... I know this is rare these days .. but i gotta believe there are more places like this ..
ReplyDeleteget a group of us together and lets see if we can get this movie shown in some of these places.
start a buzz .. get a following (rocky horror that shit up !)
If a show plays at a small theater everynight at midnight for 2 months ... people will take notice.
just an idea.
I'd say the same thing...I'm kinda big into a couple of anime conventions, and I think HSM would be recieved very well at such conventions. It might fit into an evening spot for showing and such, but if you advertised it in the con flyer type thing, or had people going around the convetion handing out flyers, you could score a big hit with that crowd. (in fact that's one of my strategies with my own anime thing when it's done, as well as having a booth or artist alley type thing) If you want me to talk to some people about it I could check to see how open they'd be to it. Just shoot me an email (I should be on your contact list).
ReplyDeleteFinancial Managers are a good idea- but please make sure you hire an honest one. I've personally seen folks get seriously ripped-off by so-called "Financial Experts" one fee at a time. Also - the best advice I can ever give you about your money - make sure YOU and only YOU sign all your checks. Make sure that all money going out has to go through you first. It's amazing how many people don't take that one simple step toward money management.
ReplyDeletejust staying up late kinda gave me another idea as well .... after any initial dvd sales . screenings., you should send this out to cartoon network ... might be something they would feature late late on adult swim.
ReplyDeletemaybe the same thing with WATS .. might nab you some new fans and a little extra $$$ ..(actually start this process with WATS .. that way if you get a big reception .. licensing HSM to them will be easy peasy.)
peace brotha.